The prior art provides several examples of garments that protect a user from inclement weather and that provide a seat cushion. Such garments include rain gear, blankets and wraps for warmth, and seat structures for seating comfort. There have been many attempts to design a garment that protects a user from inclement weather and that provides a seat cushion. However, those designs are generally cumbersome and inconvenient to wear.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,471 discloses protective apparel providing a cushion element for seating comfort. The protective garment wraps around the body of a wearer and is coupled with a cushion element. However, the cushion element is not removable from the garment to allow for maintenance of the garment alone, and the cushion element is not separately secured to the wearer, making movement from a standing position to a seated position inconvenient and difficult to maneuver.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,034 discloses a multi-purpose garment adapted to protect a wearer in inclement weather. The garment includes an upper portion and a lower portion having a sack-like appearance that encompasses the wearer from head to toe and includes a protective seat. The invention, however, is disadvantageous because the wearer must step into and out of the lower portion when applying or removing the garment and is not able to move from one place to another due to the sack-like structure surrounding the wearer's feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,933 describes a poncho and cushion combination used as a protective weather garment while sitting. The poncho is made from a water proof material and the cushion is attached to the inside surface of the poncho. The poncho and cushion combination of U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,933 is disadvantageous in that it does not provide a material to keep a wearer warm and the cushion is not separately connected to the wearer to allow for ease of transition from a standing position to a seated position.
It would be desirable to develop a garment that is readily transportable and convenient to wear that provides protection from inclement weather and a seat cushion allowing for ease of transition from a seated position to a standing position, and vice versa, for use at sporting events and the like.